What to Send in a Letter

Dear friends,

Today I’m not talking about what to write in your handwritten letters (I’ll save that for a future post), but what physical things to include with them.

Including physical things in letters? Yes! That’s one of my favorite things! We know that words and messages are the essence of letter writing, but sometimes their meaning can be amplified, or the letter can be enhanced, by the inclusion of little gifts and trinkets. (Keyword *little* since it has to fit in the envelope.) Letters become more personal and more exciting the more creative you are with them.

So without further ado, here are some ideas!

• Teabags – This is fun because it gives the recipient a drink, and a look into what you’ve been drinking! That’s not something you can usually send in a letter. I sent a berry tea to a friend of mine recently and she loved it.

• Stickers – I love sending stickers because it gives the recipient an opportunity for creativity in their own life. And there are so many types of stickers that there’s something for everyone.
• Bracelets – Especially the embroidery floss ones that everyone seemed obsessed with in middle school. (Anyone else or just me?)
• Seed packets – These are more of a niche item for those who like plants. But if you have a friend with a green thumb, this is a perfect thing to slip in your letter.
• Origami – I’m not going to pretend I’m an origami master, but it’s fun sometimes. Origami folds down flat which means it mails really well!

• Lists – Hear me out: you can send a list of places you’d like to go, websites you’ve been liking recently, or a list of your favorite things about the person you’re sending it to. Or, one of the best lists to send is a handwritten playlist – it’s like sharing a playlist online but you get both the songs and the handwritten element! Which makes it even more personal I think.
• Photos – Printed photos (especially Polaroids) are a super fun, retro way to connect with someone. Yeah you could text the pic to them, but then they don’t have a copy to put in their phone case. Priorities, right?
• Dried flowers – another slightly niche gift since flowers aren’t everyone’s thing, but how cute would it be to send flowers and Polaroids and basically give someone a brand new phone case? Pretty dang cute I think.

• Doodles and Calligraphy – Calling all artists! Hand-drawn doodles are one of the simple joys of life. I love that doodles are unique to each person’s hand, and none are quite perfect. That’s the charm of it!
• Written Quotes – You can write quotes, lyrics, scriptures, poetry, whatever you’d like! I like to write on sticky notes because they stick in place better, but you could write on any fun paper.

With letter writing, I love knowing that there are so many ways to make my letters more personal and unique to the recipient. No two letters are the same, and these little gifts can add personality, thought, and charm to any letter. And this list only scratches the surface. There are so many other things you could mail!

Give a couple of these a try or send something that isn’t on this list – and let me know how it goes! Have fun with your letter writing!

Sincerely,

Kayla